Daf 32 pick-up (1966) – Into the Wild

We kill two birds with one stone with this nice spot from AutoWeek forum member Louisz. This is a particularly nice spot for two reasons. The most obvious, that it is a pick-up, we will come back to that in a moment. To begin with, it is a Daf ’32’. You probably know the original Daf, the Daffodil, and of course the Dafs 33, 44, 46, 55 and 66, but you also had something like a Daf 31 and a Daf 32. The first generation, the Daffodil, was renewed twice and after the first renewal round in 1963 internally got the ‘name’ 31 and the second time, in 1965, it became 32. Popularly it was still just the Daffodil, only with the introduction of the Daf 33 in 1968 the number actually became the model name.

The Daffodil 32 may be difficult for the layman to distinguish from the Daf 33. This second and final facelift of the Daffodil also formed the basis for the 33. The bonnet of the 32, with the 746 cc two-cylinder engine underneath, ran a lot less Slanted more than the earlier Daffodils and the grille was now level with the headlights. Optically, at least, because they were no more than decorative strips. The latter is the most important point of recognition of a 32, because the Daf 33 had less chrome there.

Then the pickup part. That is very special, because Dafjes delivered from the factory as a pick-up are a rarity. Figures from the Dutch Dafclub show that only 435 pick-ups of the Daffodil 32 have been built. In 2021, only three copies with Dutch registration were known. That makes the Daf spotted by Louisz a particularly rare appearance. It is almost inevitable that this handsome pick-up, which was imported in 2007, can regularly be admired at Daf meetings. The thing looks beautiful and it has been with the same owner since it has a Dutch registration. That must be a fan.

Note the special rear lights.

Nice detail: this pick-up has different rear lights than usual. Only the red top part is on it, because the fuel cap is located just below the right rear light. Normally, with the sedan, it was just below the tailgate, but there is now a fully folding flap in that place.